skifta not using default media player for music

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skifta not using default media player for music

Started 1 year ago by Oneiros42 (17 posts) (4 voices)
Latest reply from Conal
3 Members Subscribed To Topic

Posted 1 year ago

Oneiros42
Member

I have Skifta running on my Android 2.3.3 phone (hope the version doesn't disqualify me immediately). Skifta has worked properly for me for a long time, since I was only using it for video. Now that I'm trying to play music, it refuses to use the "set default" media player for music, which promptly craps out with "media not compatible with selected player".

So, the root of the problem: playing video through Skifta switches to Moboplayer and everything's good, but playing any kind of music does not switch to another app. Skifta insists on playing music itself and promptly craps out on any of my m4a files. I have copied music files directly to the phone and when I open them via ASTRO for example, it switches to whichever is selected as the default music player.

Excessive detail to follow, skip if not needed. :)

I've been using PS3 Media Server as my PC's media server. It transcodes media when needed and so it and my phone have gotten along. I recently got a Cisco E3000 router and have been experimenting with the media server option it has when a USB drive is connected. It has worked well.

Now, as I said, video playing has always been excellent. As soon as I load a video, Skifta switches to Moboplayer and off I go. This applies to both PS3 Media Server and the router server, they both work for video. However, whenever I play a music file, Skifta only uses the built-in music player. The built-in player works well enough on mp3, but the majority of my music is in m4a format which I assume it doesn't support, since I only get "media not compatible with selected player".

Since PS3 Media Server transcodes, I guess it detects the built-in music player's limitation and transcodes to mp3, which Skifta plays. However, the router does not transcode and so Skifta gives the error.

Ultimately the problem is simply that Skifta is not switching to other media players for music files, when it should be.

...I think that's about it. I'm sure after this big long post that the solution will be a box I neglected to check. :)
Posted 1 year ago

Conal
Skifta Engineer

So - Android 2.3.3, but you don't mention the device?

In any case, the m4a error really *is* that the file is not supported natively.

1) Basically, you have to install a player that registers it can play m4a in android's media database. Have you tried other players such as Andless, Music player, Power music Player, mmobo player, vplayer. Sone of those will do it. I usually only use MP3, not M4A so try this out and let us know how you get on.

2) Does the file have DRM on it?

Let us know how you get on.
Posted 1 year ago

Oneiros42
Member

Ack, sorry about not mentioning the phone, it's an LG Optimus One.

1) I have installed Moboplayer and Winamp, both of which are registered to play m4a files. To make sure the phone knew what the file was, I downloaded the file to my phone's SD card and used ASTRO (file manager app) to navigate to the folder and opened it. It immediately came up with the "Complete action using" window, where it listed Moboplayer, Music, and Winamp, all three of which were able to play the file. So Android recognizes that m4a files are music files, and gave the appropriate response.

2) The file does not have DRM on it, I converted it from an mp3. I tested a few other songs, same thing with them.

Ultimately, the point isn't that Skifta can't play the music. The point is that it's TRYING to, when it shouldn't. It should be sending music to the appropriate application, the way it does to video. I load a video, it asks what program should load it, and I choose Moboplayer. It should be doing the same to music, shouldn't it?
Posted 1 year ago

Conal
Skifta Engineer

Understood - the thing here is that Skifta doesn't actually play the media itself, it passes it to Android which selects an appropriate media player.

Now - I thought I'd replicate your test on a Aconia A500, a samsung galaxy s and an htc legend.

I went to google to look for an m4a file:
http://developer.longtailvideo.com/trac/export/1319/trunk/js/test/files/bunny.m4a

I popped this on each device, selecting it as the source / dest and then selected this file (it appears as 'Big Buck Bunny'). I was surprised to see that the stock media players on each device played the file from beginning to end.

With this in mind, it really does make me think that there's an issue with your M4A files.
Can you please try the above file on your device?
Let me know the results.
If it succeeds, place one of *your* files somewhere for me and I'll take a look at it for you.
It it fails.. well - we'll come to that later :-))
Posted 1 year ago

Oneiros42
Member

Ok, this should link to the Dropbox folder I set up for this purpose: http://db.tt/JaR6PtG If it doesn't work, let me know so I can come up with another solution.

So assuming you have access to the stuff in the folder, here we go.

I got your m4a file, put it with my other one on the server, and also put an mp3 song (Word Up.mp3) on there as a control. (shot1)

Loaded up "Big Buck Bunny" (shot2), and... fail. (shot3) Skifta skipped over to Superfly and failed that as well, and next on the list was Word Up which it started to play since it was an mp3. (shot4) To double-check that Skifta was supposed to load other apps to play media, I tried loading up a video file (shot5) and it brought up Moboplayer (shot6) and started playing the video (shot7).

I then exited Skifta and brought up Astro and went to the folder I copied those same music files to (shot8) and tapped Bunny. Android brought up the music app selection window (shot9) and used Winamp to play the file (shot10). Winamp was also able to play the song I've been playing around with (shot11) and I was able to play it with the "Music" app as well. (shot12)

So there you go, visual aids all around. You should be able to download the song I was using, and obviously I have tried many other m4a files.

So in shot4 you should see why it looks like Skifta itself is playing the music files, rather than passing it on to another app.

Hope this helps.

(And if you want to see the Youtube video of my adorable niece and nephew cracking up laughing, go here: http://youtu.be/Wi4PTC9wohw It's hilarious. :) )
Posted 1 year ago

Conal
Skifta Engineer

Nicely done! It's great when a subscriber helps us with their issue in this way. Loving the twin's video by the way - chicken wing ice cream? I'd probably buy that.

Okey dokey - Superfly plays great for me on my three local devices - Skifta selects the System player and the system player renders the file, they work the same as 'bunny'.

So it's clear to me that you really *don't* have the ability to select a different M4A player - and your system player purports to play m4a.. but doesn't.

A quick google shows that you are not alone. Some devices do not have native m4a support required by the android spec, but the device still attempts playing with the default media player - your device is one of these.

So I checked with our engineers and we don't currently allow the selection of anything other than the system player for mp3 and m4a. I've raised this with them as an enhancement - and, as I say, the device *is* supposed to support these natively. My take on it is that m4a just isn't as ubiquitous as mp3 and that's why it's been missed on those devices. Apologies I don't have better news. Your option for the moment is to push the files from your device to a renderer that does support them?
Posted 1 year ago

Oneiros42
Member

I'm not sure what you mean by "system" player. Is it the "music" app, the one with the pink icon in the middle of the list on shot9? Because shot12 shows that it does play m4a files. And the interface shown in shot12 doesn't look like what's shown in shot4 when Skifta is playing an mp3 file. So unless "system" player is something else, it doesn't look like Skifta is using it.

Although after some googling of my own I found one case where m4a only played for someone when it was on his sd card, and not when it was streaming. Wonder if that's it. *EDIT* Scratch that, my PS3 plays m4a files off the router's media server so it's not the file format itself.

This issue doesn't actually affect me personally, I only discovered it when I tested the media server function on the new router I got (Cisco E3000). I really don't USE that server though, I was just playing around. The media server I use is PS3 Media Server which transcodes media, and somehow detects that Skifta doesn't want to play m4a and so transcodes them into mp3 instead. I would have closed down the router's media server by now if I didn't still need it to test this issue, and ultimately it doesn't take much time from my day to help test it.

I just brought it up on the boards because it struck me that Skifta wasn't doing what it should, and since I hadn't seen it anywhere on the boards, I felt I should bring it to your attention.

Enjoy! :)
Posted 1 year ago

Conal
Skifta Engineer

System player is the default inbuilt player available to android apps that allows the device to play any natively supported filetypes.
It's not the 'music' app, which I suspect has built in codecs.
It sounds to me that you have correctly identified some bug with the device. As I say, I googled around and found many people raising m4a support as an issue - and it's not an issue for many of the devices I've tested here - I've yet to see it fail but accept it exists.

Thanks for bringing it to our attention and thanks for your research :-)
Posted 1 year ago

Bloodkirin
Member

Has there been any progress on this issue. i think the ability to choose a default music pler would be an awesome addition. the internal music player is just to limited as far as functions. there are certain meditative type songs i wouldlike the ability to loop or even create a play list of sorts.
Posted 1 year ago

Conal
Skifta Engineer

That's an android issue, so we haven't done anything on it.
Skifta already lets you choose other players for a particular type of file.. this happens once an installed player has registered an intent on your device.
Posted 1 year ago

Bloodkirin
Member

LOL well consider this my official X-Mas wish for skifta...We all know the only way a OS is actually "Fixed" is by the genius application and program makers that use their back doors to get around the issues. (yes I am try to butter you up).

Seriously tho, this would be a great thing to look into if you are able to. I hate to sound greedy as we have already been given a wonderful free App, but if you do it i swear I will send cookies!!!!!!
Posted 1 year ago

Conal
Skifta Engineer

The Skifta team do like the occasional packet of cookies so I appreciate your comment :-)
So - let me ask you this..
*Have you tried installing the range of recommended free players such as rock player lite, mobo player, vplayer, meridian (and any other free players you can find)?
* Once installed, reboot your device (and this should also perform a media scan).

When complete, open Skifta, choose a media file to play. It should say 'complete action using...'. you should see a list of players and a checkbox saying 'use by default for this action'.

Do you get this far? Hope that helps.
Posted 1 year ago

Bloodkirin
Member

*sigh*

I have tried the following players:
MixZing
Winamp
Cloudskipper
MyMusicOn
PlayerPro
Double Twist
PowerAMP
MoboPlayer
MX Video Player
Rock Player Lite
VPlayer

Most pop up when viewing video to ask which I would like to use....nothing pops up for music
Posted 1 year ago

Conal
Skifta Engineer

I'm very sorry - on this occasion I must apologise to you.
I believed that feature had been introduced --the ability to select a default audio player for Skifta, but it turns out it's still only video currently.
I'll bring this up with the team.
Please accept my apologies regarding this.
Posted 1 year ago

Bloodkirin
Member

LOL...no need to apologize. Its till a great free app. now FIX IT...(and get cookies for payment) LOL.
Posted 1 year ago

gallagherjohn
Member

has this issue been addressed? i am having a similar problem with skifta, but not only with m4a. basically it is one probably with two possible work arounds. half the time i try to play and audio file, be it mp3 or m4a, it says buffering, then it fails with an error message reading 'an error has occurred in the media player.' my default audio player is poweramp, but skifta always just plays audio files with its own player. i either need the skifta player to be fixed so it stops saying an error has occurred, or i need skifta to use poweramp for all audio files.
Posted 1 year ago

Conal
Skifta Engineer

I'll need to check your logs John - this sounds like something unusual. Install the free app 'log collector' from the marketplace. Immediately (literally immediately) after you see the issue, switch to log collector. Mail the log to us at support@skifta.com referencing this thread.

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